Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 December 1

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December 1

Disassembling scissors

Hi. I was wondering how you can dissemble a pair of scissors. thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.117.66.208 (talk • contribs) -THB 04:23, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I guess that really depends on the kind of scissors, most scissors are designed not to be taken apart so trying to do so will most likely break them. I have seen a few scissors that are hinged with a screw or bolt then it's pretty obvious how to disassemble them, but they are usually expensive hair dresser or tailor scissors, not really the kind you'd have kicking around. Vespine 21:19, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

If they are not designed to come apart then you would have to drill out the rivet or pin that connects them. If you then want to reassemble them you will need to replace what you drilled out with a bolt. --Justanother 21:27, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

You could easily dissemble a pair of scissors by making them look like something else. If you wanted to disassemble them I would follow the advice above. DJ Clayworth 21:44, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Skalm_2.JPG these are the kind of scissors I have...how exactly would I drill it out?

Depends on what tools you have. With a hand drill you'd maybe want to drill a pilot hole before applying a larger drill to it. With a bench drill, mount well in vice and away you go. I suspect you have a hand drill; the trick is not in the drilling, but more in the securing the scissors well enough to drill without incident. Good luck. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Whoo-hooh, Fiskars scissors! ;) 惑乱 分からん 23:13, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

With a lot of pulling, maybe.martianlostinspace 22:59, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Most scissors Ive seen have a screw thro one blade that is screwed into the opposite blade and then riveted over to stop it coming loose. It may be possible therefore to unscrew the screw for the blade into which it is screwed as long as the thread in the blade can be relied upon to reform the thread where it has been riveted over. If the blade steel is much harder than the screw steel, then this may be possible. Mind you Ive never tried it! THe method described in the above posts would, of course destroy the screw at least. 8-)--Light current 23:12, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

I hate dissembling scissors. If there's one thing I value in scissors, it's honesty. --Trovatore 23:14, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Don't like your chances, the rivet looks steel and will spin with the drill if you try to drill it out... I think grinding it off might be easier if you had access to some kind of angle grinder or bench grinder, or even dremel. Vespine 23:19, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

All my scissors seem like they're fastened with a rivet, so you should be able to take a pair of pliers and pinch the smaller end until it's misshapen enough to go through the hole. I've actually done that before. It doesn't work with every rivet, because some of them are too hard, but it works sometimes. The beauty of this is that it can be bent back after. Anchoress 23:31, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

The question I ve been keen to ask is: What the hell good is half a scissor?--Light current 23:50, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Depends on how you cut it in half. A blunt half-scissor is not much chop, but a sharp one might come in handy. A whole single scissor is useful for poking holes in things. JackofOz 00:15, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Btw, is there any other word in English where -ss- is pronounced "z"? JackofOz 00:17, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Missen, as in missen mast. Misery manages the trick at half the cost. (YMMV. About 126k pages spell the word mizzen, 52k missen.)--Tagishsimon (talk)

Missouri--Light current 00:29, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Cool. "While in Missouri, I attacked the missen mast with scissors". No marks for misery, unfortunately. JackofOz 00:40, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

"While in Missouri, I attacked the missen mast with scissors making Ms. Asbury miserable". +2 extra credit. :-)—WAvegetarian•(talk) 00:59, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Nope, sorry. I was aking about a double s (-ss-) sounding like z. There are millions of words (such as "millions" and "words") where a single s sounds like a z. JackofOz 01:05, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, my mistake. I thought you were saying no marks as it hadn't been included in the sentence. "While in Missouri, I fissioned the missen mast with scissors". Grammar could be worked on, but wiktionary says that it is one of the accepted pronounciations. (two more to play with: wiktionary:scission and wiktionary:rescission)—WAvegetarian•(talk) 02:15, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

PLs no homework answers before the question has been asked! 8-)--Light current 00:42, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Spoilsport! JackofOz 01:05, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm going to sleep now, but just realized that search parameters *ʒ* *ss* in a dictionary search would probably provide what you are looking for.—WAvegetarian•(talk) 02:23, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Wow, this thread took off! The pin is likely hardened steel so you will want to use a high-quality bit. Use a center-punch or prick (really) first to prevent the drill for "walking". If you ever intend to put it back together you want to use a drill very slightly smaller than the pin, otherwise it doesn't much matter. --Justanother 02:32, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Please sign your posts using four tildes (~~~~). -THB 04:20, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I doubt the rivets are hardened steel. I would bet on mild steel. Traditional rivets have one head factory formed, then they are heated red hot and the other head is formed with an impact tool after the rivet is in place. The exposed head could be ground off or chiseled off. But one might ask: Why? A scissor without its erstwhile companion is like yin without yang, or Abbott without Costello. Scissors can be sharpened while still assembled. Edison 06:02, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Hmmm, yes but we are talking about a wear surface here, not a simple connector. The blades would be a high-carbon steel and the pin perhaps hardened and the whole assembly put together cold in a press? Just guessing, of course. --Justanother 07:22, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

One reason you might disassemble scissors is to do some heavy-duty repair work (such as deburring) on the cutting edges of the blades. While you can usually sharpen the blades a little while still assembled, you can't reach all the way back on the blades to the handle-side. This becomes easy once the scissors are dismantled.

And after that, don't let your kid cut hard stuff such as steel wire with the newly-resharpened scissors ;-).

Atlant 13:45, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

what happened to this question

it was called "I Don't Want To Offend Anyone, But......." It was here earlier today. Thanks. -STeve

I guess it did offend someone. Anchoress 00:20, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

It might have been deleted because it was a question about Wikipedia, which is more appropriate for the Help Desk. The Ref Desk is for questions about the world outside Wikipedia. StuRat 00:38, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

It should have been moved (not deleted) and a note left here.--Light current 00:39, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

The OP removed it once and I restored it; maybe the same again. --Justanother 02:44, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I wonder if this is already a result of SCZenz removing stuff. Someone may have picked up that that is done here, thought it was normal, but didn't know how to do it properly (according to SCZenz's rules). Like I said before, this will lead to a lot of confusion, and not only for newbies. DirkvdM 07:22, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

We have rules? --Justanother 07:32, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Was that a rhetorical question ;) ? SCZenz has his own set of rules, and is actually quite diligent about explaining why he deletes certain contributions from the RDs. Some other folks, unfortunately, just hack out stuff they don't like and justify this by saying there isn't a rule that says you can't delete stuff from the RDs. Gandalf61 10:21, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I've been a bit busy of late and haven't contributed to the desks as much as usual. I must have missed some process or other where consensus was formed that a list of rules for these desks were drawn up, debated and agreed. Is it too late to contribute to that discussion? Where is it located? --Dweller 10:33, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Not agreed upon, SCZenz just came up with his own unilateral rules: User talk:SCZenz/Reference desk removals, and was then "slapped down" by another Admin for blocking a Ref Desk regular contributor who didn't follow those rules (SCZenz still threatened to come back and do more damage later, though). See the Ref Desk Talk Page for the general discussion: Wikipedia talk:Reference desk. StuRat 13:40, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

No reason to get all worked up, folks. It appears that the question and reactions were removed by the OP.  --Lambiam^Talk 12:48, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

NOTHING at Wikipedia is ever really "permanently settled". Sometimes this is good, often this is bad.

Atlant 13:46, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Okay, I made a comment on SCZenz's page about his removals, whether he removed this one or not. So what IS the question here? -THB 07:09, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Gandalf, are you serious about there being people other than SCZenz who delete posts they don't like? That is hard to detect at the ref desks, so I wouldn't be surprised. We really need a better way to keep track of deletions. Something that automatically detecs them and puts them in a separate history list or something, but I don't see how that could be done. DirkvdM 07:57, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

trouble among friends?

what do i do? im Really REALLY like my brother best friend and roomate! and he want to be with me and i want to be with him...but it can not happen. my family fears it will tear their and my friendship with him apart if something went wrong. so they say i am forbidden to be with him. im so confused on how to feel. UG! what do i do? do i just pretend i dont like him to get over him? help me PLEASE!! --Kittycat rox 02:23, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

First thing to remember is you are NOT the first or the only person to be in this situation! After all the Romeo and Juliet article claims that it is thought to be the most archetypal love story in western history. It would be easier to give you advice if we knew how old you were and where about in the world you live. If you are of adult age (or close to) and in a free western society, I believe you only live once and you have to follow your heart. You have to live with the consequences but no one, not even your family can tell you how to live your life... If however you are very young and/or you live in a Muslim or communist country, then I would take the advice of your family more seriously, the world won't end and life is FULL of surprises. Vespine 03:41, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Communist country? Why is that? I really don't know any communist countries remaining, other than Cuba and North Korea (arguably China), but this appears to be a question from a culture with strong sense of shameless appearance and family honor, nothing which I'd say has a basis in communism, per se... =S 惑乱 分からん 13:50, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I think the two of you should sneak around and carry out a torrid affair right under everyones' noses. That makes it much more exciting. There are only so many times in life that you feel that way about someone and it's mutual. Enjoy! -THB 04:16, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

oh of course not. i just enjoy his company. i dont need sex from him. he just turned 19...so i know i cant do anything with him. just being by him is enough. but family doesntunderstand how musch he means to me.

Depends on how old you are. (Oh wait, Vespine already said that.) That being said, your family doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Are you only supposed to like someone you're not friends with? Clarityfiend 06:02, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

• Convince them it won't go wrong to begin with. Then they have nothing to fear. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:13, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Wait until you are 18 then just do it. 211.28.131.37 11:45, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

By the way, Vietnam and Laos are Communist, and China has us blocked anyway. Tried talking to your family? martianlostinspace 21:23, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

yes..i was actually thinking of waiting till im 18 to do it..by then i will have enough knowledge to make a good decision. i am 16 and live in california by the way. --Kittycat rox 01:21, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

The age of consent is 18 in California. If you have sexual intercourse with him he could be charged, assuming he is an adult. How old IS he? I still think you should go for it, just don't do anything in a manner that could have legal consequences for him. -THB 07:14, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

yes well..he is 19.i was not thinking of having sex with him. just his presence is enough. im trying to get over him by being only a friend and am going to hopfully go out on a date with another guy. is that right? is it the wrong thing to do? to ignore that feeling to keep myself from getting hurt? --Kittycat rox 02:23, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Kittycat rox, it was a good idea to talk about it, now you just have to take your own decision. Did you talk to your brother's friend too ? -- DLL ^{.. T} 17:27, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

he knows it cant happen but he says he still cares for me and it really bothers him we cant be together. we hang out all the time and when he was over yesterday i got a call from the boy i was talking about and he was inviting me over. he imediately tensed up knowing i was on the phone with another boy who likes me. i now have to choose to either let go of the 19 year old (aka my best friend)and hurt him by going with the other boy.....or stay where i am not hurting anyone else but myself. i dont want to be selfish and keep only myself form getting hurt. --Kittycat rox 19:08, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

The Lovin'Spoonful perhaps said it best [1] "Did you ever have to make up your mind? Pick up on one and leave the other behind. It's not often easy and not often kind." Edison 21:03, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

I think i know what i have to do...leave him behind. i just dont want to hurt people. ive never hurt anyone like this..im usually the one getting hurt...and i know how it feels. it makes you feel like crap. you cant sleep..dont want to eat.. dont want to hang out with firnds. you just want to sit there and just think. i dont want this happening to him. __________thanks guys for helping me on this. i really dont know what i would do otherwise. i now see that there is no point in letting myself hurt hoping for something that will never happen. by the way....i love that quote.--Kittycat rox 23:15, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

why do I suffer from tooth ache?

Hello, I am 24 and recently (started several years ago though) have had tooth ache, and recently it is too the degree where I can't go to sleep - it is keeping me awake. You see I brush them at LEAST twice a day they are very white, I will go to the dentist, it is just professionals can get it wrong - maybe it is not a cavity........... maybe someone out there has an idea of what it could be (I have small cavities.... but not to the point where it should be causing me such pain). Thank you I appreciate all advice!

Have you tried flossing? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 09:58, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

You really must go to the dentist; only she or he can advise you properly. But it is almost certain that you have an exposed nerve. Please do not neglect this: it will only get worse. Clio the Muse

Sensitive teeth?--Light current 10:39, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Even professionals could not venture a diagnosis without an adequate description of the symptoms (When did it start, and how? Was the pain constant and nagging, or occasional? How is it now: Constant? dull/sharp/excruciating? Are there conditions that exacerbate the pain (heat, cold, touch, teeth tapping, chewing, head movements or positions)? In any case, the cause of the pain can be something else than a diseased tooth, ranging from minor ailments to serious problems that must be treated if you don't want to lose a jaw or worse. Professionals can get it wrong, but it's more likely you and I will get it wrong.  --Lambiam^Talk 12:21, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunately, regular brushing and flossing cannot guarantee perfectly healthy teeth. The health of your teeeth is at least partly dependent on your diet, and it's also partly hereditary. My father had a full set of dentures by the time he was 35, and my own mouth is a real dentist's workshop, but we both looked after our teeth as best we could.--Shantavira 13:17, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

In the same way, rarely brushing and never flossing doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have unhealthy teeth. It's best to just leave it alone and trust your dental hygiene to the stars :p --froth^{T C} 07:15, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Interview question

Hello everyone. I've got an interview as a project manager coming up next week, for a local government post. It's a two stage process, the first stage being an 'assessment day'. One of the things I have to do is prepare a presentation. I am entirely comforatble with doing a presentation, so don't really need any tips on that side of things. What I am struggling with is the content of the presentation.

The post is project managing a large scale modernisation programme, cutting costs for the area through better management, redesigning processes, etc, etc.

The topic is "How would you sell the benefits of this programme to a staff group who were likely to reduce in size because of it?"

Any ideas on how you actually would sell something to a group who is likely to lose staff? If I get some decent & useful advice, and I get this job, I'll donate £100 (just short of $200) to Wikipedia. Proto::type 15:32, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

There are no benefits to the staff - except to those who survive the redundancies, who might get better rewarded as a result. But then they should keep an eye over their shoulders, because they will probably be next when the next round of cost-cutting comes along. The only benefits from any "modernisation" programme will accrue to the senior management, who will gain further bonuses for "efficiency gains" on top of their already inflated salaries, and to the shareholders who will see nice fat dividends and capital gains. There are no benefits to the staff, and equally none to the customers, who will likely see customer service further dwindle through the lack of staff and demotivated remaining staff. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:47, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Oops, sorry, I didn't read the bit where you said it was for a local government post. So you can ignore the bits I put about bonuses and shareholders. Sorry. I stand by the rest, though. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:51, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Um, thanks. I am hoping this is a theoretical exercise, rather than something I will actually have to be doing. The cost-cutting is being carried out in this manner as the only other alternative is reducing fairly helpful public services such as education, waste collection and road maintenance. It's not a choice, sadly, and it does have to be done. So. Does anyone have any helpful responses, rather than vitriol? Proto::type 15:57, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

That really is an extremely difficult assignment. Perhaps, if you offer a good retraining and job-finding service to those employees who are fired, and have a nice settlement package, or ealry retirement package, you could sell some of those points, but telling someone they are fired so that they are happy about it is a nearly impossible task. StuRat 16:47, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

You sell the benefits of the programme by only describing the benefits, and not mentioning the staff cuts at all. If asked about staff cuts, say that all options are being considered, nothing has been ruled out, but it is far too early in the process to say anything further. You can tell yourself that you are not actually lying to your audience, you are simply not telling them the whole truth; in any case, having months of uncertainty ahead of them would only make them unhappy, so you are doing them a favour, really. If you are not comfortable with this approach, then this may not be the right job for you - which is just what this assessment test is trying to determine. Gandalf61 17:22, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Look to the long term, look to the bigger picture. If such a project improves profitability it increases the chances the business will be around next year to employee the people it currently employs. It is better that the firm loses (picking numbers out of the sky) 10 employees now if it increases the long term stability of the 1,000 employees in the firm - who without restructure and efficiency gains may not have jobs in the future.

Show how letting people go does not mean that their lives are 'ruined' and that packages are generous and provide 'garden leave'/time to retrain/guidance on retraining etc. Point out things such as voluntary redundancy, the policy of not restaff those lost by turnover (many low-skill jobs avoid redundancy by this technique).

Do not understate the difficults faced for the team, make it clear in your presentation that you understand it is a decision that will not benefit everybody but return to the positives through the bigger picture, long term strategy and the softening of the blow through renumeration/generous redundancy terms. The staff who remain will still feel vulnerable but if the firm cannot restructure to succeed then it may not be around in 5 years to employ them at all, and that would be worse for more than just those in the immediate area. ny156uk 17:39, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

There is no way you're really going to 'sell' this. That's why almost all gov't computer projects crap out, if they require the people to dig their own graves. The best projects are the ones that completely contract out a service. You can be truthful and outline the retirement packages and various education incentives. The basic theme is that there is no choice. --Zeizmic 19:48, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Start out by frankly admitting that what is good for an organization is not always the best thing for the individual members of the organization and that some members will benefit from the changes and some will not. Also tell them that you understand that the "survivors" will judge you from the way you treat the people who are let go. Don't use euphemisms. Acknowledge the difficulty of even beneficial change. -THB 00:03, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Thank you everyone for your help. I'll let you know how I get on. Proto::type 14:17, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

School Play

Me and a friend are doing a school play and need an idea for a sketch that will be very funny to teenage girls. cheers ams

• A very stern teacher or principal is addressing an assembly on how much money was raised for charity at the chili cook off and how good many of the recipes were, then has a sudden gas attack. They try holding them in (which makes them walk funny), they try sneaking them out, they try covering them up with coughs, but nothing works. Finally they let go with a huge, loud fart that lasts for 30 seconds, and every time it stops, a bit more squeaks out. It would be best if you could imitate an actual teacher or principal they know, but be sure to get that person's permission so they don't get upset. One person can play the teacher/principal and the other can make fart noises. StuRat 16:26, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

• This is not really part of the function of the reference desk, but how about dressing up as girls (assuming you are boys, you don't say) and acting out something that might happen between those two girls (or dress up as boys if you are girls). Teenagers seem to find cross dressing highly amusing. I think bodily (mis)functions usually appeal more to a boy's sense of humour than a girl's.--Shantavira 16:30, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

• So far, I prefer the fart joke, with talented physical comedy, I could see it becoming quite funny... 惑乱 分からん 16:45, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

In a dance program, someone got member of the (American) football team to come out and do ballet. I expect some girl friends twisted their arms or got the coach to order them to do it. Coaches reportedly like to see football or basketball players get dance drill off season because it improves agility. It was funny as hell, because they were beefy and more pop-dancing than ballet dancing, but it got rousing cheers. Edison 19:10, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I am not a teenage girl so I cannot speak with authority but the fart bit sounds more like it would appeal to sub-teenage boys. Teenage girls are more into boys than farts, no? So a sketch about really lame boys? --Justanother 02:53, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Train Transport

I live in the UK and today I was on a train, a train built by Siemens in Germany. All of a sudden I thought, how did they get the trains over here(Great Britain) from Germany? Did they take them apart and assemble them here? Did they ship them over on a special ferry or did they simply send them through the channel tunnel?AMX 17:45, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

See Car float (although I'd have said "railroad barge").

Atlant 18:09, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

But in that particular case, I think they came through the tunnel. The UK's 500+ Class 66 locomotives were all built in Canada and were shipped over on an ordinary ship, usually about 10 or 12 at a time. The Class 67s were built in Spain and also came over by ship. -- Arwel (talk) 18:43, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

After all, (most) of Europe is on the same gauge.martianlostinspace 21:21, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

What is really cool is how they get the REALLY heavy stuff moved: see MV Blue Marlin. --Justanother 23:39, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't know whether it's relevant, but the Sheffield Supertram vehicles "were built by Siemens-Duewag of Düsseldorf, Germany in 1992. After undergoing trials on Düsseldorf's Rheinbahn system, the trams were delivered to Sheffield via the Rotterdam-Immingham cargo ship route."--Shantavira 07:51, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Really weird dream

I had a really weird dream last night. I and my father were watching TV late at night. There was a program where an attractive woman in a dark grey leotard was dancing (sort-of bouncing up and down) and reciting a song promoting conservation of energy. I of course don't remember the lyrics but at one point she mentioned she was the "energy Kekkonen". Near the end of the song (only a couple of seconds left) her top fell off and her breasts were clearly visible. She didn't seem to mind, but carried on to the end of the song, after which she immediately stopped dancing, said "Good night", and left. At that point, my father said "Finally!", turned the TV off, and instantly went to sleep. What do you think about this dream? Have you ever had similar dreams? JIP | Talk 17:50, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

No.Evilbu 18:31, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Dreams are weird by nature. Honestly, this one doesn't sound that unusual; what about it strikes you? -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 18:43, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Mostly, the dancing woman. The way she delivered her message in the form of a cheery, bouncy dance and the part about her top falling off at the very end. At the point where my father turned the TV off, the dream was so realistic that I had already made a mental note to check yesterday's TV guide in the morning to see what the show had been, until I realised I had dreamed it. JIP | Talk 19:56, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I think that Jung claimed that everybody you dream about represents a different part of yourself. I don't know if that's helpful. Dreaming about Kekkonen might be less strange than I originally thought, considering you're Finnish. 惑乱 分からん 18:53, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I think yopu've got the wrong Kekkonen there ;) Grutness...wha? 23:17, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Ahh, I like how her official home page doesn't have an English translation... Not caring to much about the international market, apparently... =S 惑乱 分からん 01:16, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

No, actually Urho Kekkonen is the right one. The woman made it clear from context. JIP | Talk 06:16, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Your Dad was waiting for the top to come off?--Light current 00:20, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

No, I think he hardly noticed it. He was waiting for the program to end. JIP | Talk 06:16, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Your own interpretation is the one that should help you best. But did you kow that "The Paasikivi-Kekkonen line is president Urho Kekkonen's (1956-1981) realization and development of his predecessor's Paasikivi's doctrine, aimed at Finland's survival as an independent sovereign democratic and capitalist country in the immediate proximity of the Soviet Union ?" -- DLL ^{.. T} 17:18, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

I think a lot dream content for people over thirteen will involve unashamed nudity or sexuality. It's like after being in the waking world for sixteen hours a day, where sensuality is heavily repressed, the mind needs a little time to express itself without the threat of chastisement and humilation. Theavatar3 01:35, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Youngest television presenter

I've been researching Nathan Godsey. Articles claim he's the youngest television presenter in the US (possibly in the world). According to what I read so far he appears to be 9 years old. Are there any other contenders for the youngest presenter spot? I'm not looking for one of gigs, but consistent regular appearance. - Mgm|^(talk) 19:33, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

why are some ethno-linguo-cultral groups better at business than others?

why do Scots, Gujaratis, Jews, and Chinese seem to be so much better an entrepreneurial business and money-handling in general than other ethno-linguo-cultural groups? (not trying to be racist here, apoligies for anyone who's offended..) Thanks. -Steve

I don't think the characteristic lies with the ethno-linguo-cultural groups you have identified, so much as with small groups from those communities who are in some way dislocated - typically as expatriates. These smaller groups can be more cohesive than is the norm, enabling advantageous social behaviour basically amounting to a great deal more support that the wider community can access. A good example is quaker business-people in the UK going back (I dunno) two and three hundred years. They were removed from the mainstream religion, and tended to operate cohesively enough to be able to lend money, start banks, start capital intensive businesses, &c. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Cohesive is a racist term! please delete!--Light current 00:16, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Well there is a theory v/v people of the Jewish faith that has been floated (not saying it's true), which is that because for such a long time, European Jews were denied citizenship and the right to own property, many members of urban European Jewish communities concentrated all their efforts to establish themselves and support their families on the areas of banking, law, health care and commerce. Endeavours that don't require land ownership, and that are mobile in the event of a capricious change in official or popular cultural tolerance. Anchoress 23:47, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

None of that would apply to Asian people, who have higher IQs, better education, and higher incomes, at least in the U.S. (This is not racism, it's statistics.) -THB 00:39, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

I didn't claim that it did. I stated in my first sentence that it was a theory applying to people of the Jewish faith. Anchoress 00:44, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you did. I agree with what you said, but it doesn't apply to Asian people, so there must be a different reason for them to have higher achievement. The U.S. Census Bureau doesn't track Jewish people as an ethnic group so they don't provide information about their socio-economic status. -THB 02:08, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

When Steve is talking about these groups, I believe he's talking about members of these groups who have emmigrated to another country. The fact of that emmigration alone makes for a strong selection criterion, so the ethic-group-X immigrants you see (say in the US) aren't a representative sample of that entire ethnic group. In particular traders are more likely to migrate to another country, and more likely to succeed in doing so:

• other professions aren't so portable:
  • landowners can't easily pick up and move to another country (particularly because in many old-world countries land-ownership is a complex business, and land isn't a straightforward commodity that can easily be monetised)
  • farmers moving to a new country have to contend with different climate, livestock, soil conditions, etc.
  • those in technical professions may find that their hard-won skills aren't in demand in other countries (a skilled master leatherworker might be in great demand in Morocco, but in the UK they'd find that most of their work is done by unskilled workers and machines, and that the market for handmade leathergoods is rather small)
  • professions based on cultural or linguistic skills are often rather unportable (if you're a university educated teacher in Mandarin literature you'll find lots of job opportunities teaching in China, precious little in Florida)
• trading itself is a reason for migration. Many of the first immigrants into a country are traders, who hope to run trading links back and forward with their home country. The first arabs on the east coast of Africa were traders, the first Britons in India likewise.

But there's another selection criterion at work too - who the casual observer sees in their everyday life, and what who they don't. For example consider Indian immigrants to southern England. From just everyday life you'll find a lot of Indians running corner shops, takeaways, and driving taxis. So you might conclude that Indians have some cultural propensity for those professions. But there are lots of Indians working in occupations where you wouldn't notice them. There are (well, were, a decade or two ago) a great number of Indians working in the garment industry around Leicester, and the airline catering industry in the area around Heathrow Airport is very heavily staffed by Indian ladies. So trends one notices when going about one's ordinary life reflect more about onself than that which one observes. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 01:13, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree with emmigration as an important self-selection, but I'm not sure the questioner was referring to emigrant groups. He specifically mentioned Scots. Are they known for emigrating? -THB 02:10, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes, notably as a result of the Highland Clearances. --Tagishsimon (talk)

To every corner of the Earth. Clio the Muse 02:12, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Not just the Highland Clearances. People have been one of Scotland's main exports for centuries. Clio the Muse 02:16, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

One possibility is that people who have a hard time have to fight harder to get a foothold and then once htey have it continue in that fashion. Another related one is that minorities tend to keep to their own, so a newcomer will be helped by fellow countrymen. This coperation may be a bigger advantage than being a minority is a disadvantage. DirkvdM 08:15, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, so Scots are known for emigrating. But are they know for their entreprenurial and money-handling abilities? -THB 13:01, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Carnegie, Jardine_Matheson_Holdings_Limited was built from the ground up by Scots, aren't there a lot of financially successful SCots in Australia and kiwi-land too? Thanks for the responses. -Steve

Oh, and in Cuba someone told me that wherever Cubans go, they are successfull. Don't know if that is true, though. DirkvdM 06:29, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Dress code

I'm planning to take my wife and our grand-daughter to see a ballet in London. The ballet is during the afternoon. Is there a dress code for afternoon performances? I'm assuming that one needs to look the part for an evening performance

I think dress codes have relaxed to the point that you need not consider distinguishing between an afternoon at the ballet and an afternoon at the supermarket. Whatever you feel comfortable in. (This based in part on my limited experience of London opera, btw). --Tagishsimon (talk)

No, you don't have to wear a dress. (That was just tutu easy, I couldn't resist.) Clarityfiend 21:14, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I would wear what is known as 'afternoon' wear 8-)--Light current 00:18, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Even though people are dressing less and less formally for the ballet, symphony, opera, etc., you'll enjoy it more if you aren't wearing cut-off jeans. I have noticed in NY that tourists especially are dressing very informally even for evening opera. It is an alarming trend. If you are not from the UK you might consider that the the way you dress will influence the opinion of Londoners about not just you but all off your fellow countrymen.

Afternoon performances are less formal than evening performances, so "business casual" is in order. If your grand-daughter is young or if this is her first ballet, then the way you dress will influence her experience of the evening. Most little girls would like to dress up for the ballet. -THB 00:31, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks everybody, very helpful, what a great world we have!

The only dress code I know of is at the Sydney Opera House, in Australia, where Down Under Wear is required. :-) StuRat 08:45, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Everyone seems to have different opinions. Do what feels right. --Proficient 12:24, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree the most with Proficient and THB. Here in Vancouver, you'd see everything from jeans and tees to biker leathers to evening gowns and tuxes. I always dress up, but I also think it's important not to dress more fancily than you feel comfortable with. I think for an afternoon show, business attire is as fancy as you'd want to get, and less is probably fine, but I agree that your granddaughter would probably enjoy dressing up. Anchoress 12:41, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Condensor microphone

What is the best cheap directional condensor microphone? Cheap, that is, by directional condensor microphone standards. Thanks. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme 21:16, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

This is an encyclopedia. We don't do product reviews, so we can't say what's best. You might try googling for something- some of the sites that sell musical equipment also offer reviews. Friday (talk) 04:59, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Oh, I don't know - this forum seems to lean more toward a place where people help other people. --Justanother 05:30, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I've got "best brand" advice here before. I'm just asking if anyone has personal experience. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme 06:25, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

I use [Rode] microphones and find them to be reasonably well priced and outstanding quality. Vespine 21:41, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

what are elephants tusks for

what are elephants tusks for

Elephant#Tusks are your friend. --Tagishsimon (talk)

piano keys --Nelson Ricardo 00:20, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

defending elephants--Light current 00:48, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Given that the previous answer pointing to the elephant article which reveals that "tusks ... are used to dig for water, salt, and roots; to debark trees, to eat the bark; to dig into baobab trees to get at the pulp inside; and to move trees and branches when clearing a path. In addition, they are used for marking trees to establish territory and occasionally as weapons", can you tell me why there was a need to append "defending elephants" as an answer? --Tagishsimon (talk)

I think the point was that the previous answer had assumed you meant human use. LC was noting that they are useful to elephants as well, in particular against humans who might be interested in fatal cosmetic surgery.—WAvegetarian•(talk) 08:23, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe they also use their tusks for defense from non-human predators, like lions. They rarely need to actually gore a lion, however, as the lions keep their distance based solely on the threat. They do frequently seem to gore rhinos, however, especially improperly socialized male adolescents, which roam in packs (sounds a lot like a human street gang, doesn't it ?). StuRat 08:37, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Interesting. Given the blurb in the article about dying from lack of food, how come there are Indian elephants without tusks? -- Seejyb 04:53, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Since female Asian elephants often have no tusks, they can't be that important for survival. Perhaps it's a manifestation of the handicap principle? Skarioffszky 10:18, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Elephants travel in herds, so it isn't necessary for all of them to have tusks. The lions stay away because it only takes one good goring to ruin their whole day. StuRat 15:00, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Whats Al Herman Goring got to do with lions? 8-)--Light current 21:52, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Based on this pic: [2], I'd say Hermann Göring has more in common with elephants. :-) StuRat 12:33, 3 December 2006 (UTC)